Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that his government was inspired by Swami Vivekanand in its governance, and his vision that society progresses when privilege is broken and equality ensured, was applied to all flagship programmes of the Government.

He was speaking at the 125th anniversary celebrations of Sri Ramakrishna Math at Vivekananda House in Chennai.

The Prime Minister said earlier, even basic facilities were treated like privileges and only a handful of people or small groups were allowed to access them. But now, the Prime Minister said, the doors of development have been opened to everyone.

He said that the Mudra Yojana, one of the most successful schemes, is celebrating its 8th anniversary on Saturday and highlighted the efforts of small entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu who had made the state a leader in the scheme.

“Nearly 38 crore collateral-free loans have been given to small entrepreneurs including a huge number of women and people from marginalized sections of society,” the Prime Minister said.

Getting a bank loan for business was a privilege earlier, but its accessibility has been amplified now. Similarly, the Prime Minister said basic things like a house, electricity, LPG connections, toilets and more are reaching every family.

“Swami Vivekananda had a grand vision for India. Today, I am sure he is proudly watching India working to fulfill his vision,” the Prime Minister said and noted his central message to people was to have faith in themselves and their country.

He pointed out that “every Indian feels it is our time now and many experts suggest that this will be India’s century. We engage with the world from a position of confidence and mutual respect,” he added.

Recalling the teachings of Swami Ji that when there is a right platform, women will lead society and solve problems by themselves, the Prime Minister said. Today’s India believes in women-led development.

“Whether it is startups or sports, armed forces or higher education, women are breaking barriers and making records,” he said.

He further added that Swami Ji believed in sports and fitness to be crucial for character development and highlighted that today, society has begun to see sports as a professional choice, rather than just as an extra activity.

He pointed out that Yoga and Fit India have become mass movements. He said the National Education Policy has reformed the education sector to bring global best practices to India and mentioned Swami Ji’s belief that empowerment can be achieved through education and the need for technical and scientific education.

“Today, skill development has received unprecedented support. We also have one of the world’s most vibrant tech and scientific ecosystems,” he added.

Recalling the words of Swami Vivekananda that even assimilating five ideas and living them fully was very powerful, the Prime Minister mentioned that India just celebrated 75 years of independence and the nation has set its sights on making the next 25 years as Amrit Kaal.

“This Amrit Kaal can be used to achieve great things by assimilating five ideas – the Panch Praan. These are the goals of a developed India, removing any traces of colonial mindset, celebrating our heritage, strengthening unity, and focusing on our duties,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister urged everyone to collectively and individually resolve to follow these five principles. “If 140 crore people make such a resolve, then we can build a developed, self-reliant and inclusive India by 2047,” he said.

Governor of Tamil Nadu R N Ravi; Vice President of Ramakrishna Math Srimat Swami Gautamanandaji; and Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan were present on the occasion.

The Prime Minister paid floral tributes and performed puja and meditation in Swami Vivekanand’s room. The Prime Minister released a book on Holy Trio on the occasion.

Started in Chennai in 1897 by Swami Ramakrishnananda, the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are spiritual organizations engaged in various forms of humanitarian and social service activities.

In Chennai, earlier, he inaugurated the new terminal building of Chennai airport and flagged off the Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express at the MGR Chennai Central Railway Station.